The objective of the present investigation is to gain basic information on the sequence and mechanism of the respiratory chain-linked energy transduction and the structure function relationship of mitochondrial inner membrane by studying various types of the respiratory chain-linked electron transfer and energy transfer reactions in a bovine cardiac submitochondrial membrane system and by resolution and reconstitution of individual components essential for the respiratory chain-linked electron and energy transfer reactions. We plan to employ the following approaches. (1) utilization of fluorescence probes. Continued studies on both the environmental sensitive and the covalently bound fluorescence probes will be made. Special attention will be made on the interaction between the probe molecules and the membrane component(s). (2) Elucidation of the mechanism of the respiratory chain-linked energy coupling. 1. The mechanism of the oligomycin induced respiratory control. Special attention will be directed to the nature of the terminal acceptor of reducing equivalent(s). 2. The effect of long chain fatty acids and their derivatives on the respiratory chain-linked reactions. (3) Elucidation of the organization of the functional components and their association in the mitochondrial inner membrane by means of resolution and reconstitution.